1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system using laser optic technology for non-obtrusive monitoring which provides data derived from movements of a missile control surface while undergoing electromagnetic testing. The system provides a novel means of using laser light intensities on a translucent gray scale window for remotely monitoring these movements in synchronization.
2. Description of Prior Art
Various techniques have been reported in the prior art for monitoring movements and the like with respect to an object.
Lasers have been widely used in the past for such matters as determination of speed and distance, and movement of an object. However, a laser has not been used in the manner disclosed herein to monitor the movement of an object undergoing electromagnetic testing. Reference is made to pending patent application Ser. No. 07/874 320 filed Apr. 27, 1992, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,000, which relates to testing of a cardiac pacemaker in an electromagnetic field. This application is incorporated by reference herein. One of the Applicants of the instant application is also a co-applicant of the referenced application.
In practice, visual observation and the use of a camera have been used to monitor a missile control surface while undergoing testing. Another technique involves the use of intercepting the missile's normal control signals transmitted internally, which indicate the movements of the control surface during testing.
The visual monitor technique is obviously an inferior method in that only movements that are visible to the naked eye or the camera can be observed. It is possible that movements not visually observable by the eye or camera may be important for a test. Additionally the visual or camera observations are only a qualitative measurement of the movement on the monitored surface; that is, did it move or didn't it move. Further, this type of data record does not indicate the distance or speed of movement. A disadvantage of monitoring internal signals derived from the missile control surface under test is that some obtrusive means (probe) may be required to retrieve the signals from the system involved. Any method used to pick-off the internal signals can potentially corrupt the integrity of the system and consequently, the derived data.